There are many good woods. If you like a strong smoke flavor, Mesquite is very strong, Hickory is strong and very commonly used. In the Southwest Pecan is popular, similar to Hickory but milder. With Oak being the mildest of this group. All of these can be moderated by amount used and for how long you keep adding it. You can also mix types. In general Fruit Woods are fairly mild. Apple, Peach, Cherry, Orange are all good. Some add smoke wood only the first 2-3 hours. Others like myself believe I am Smoking the Meat so Smoke runs as long as the smoker is on. This may be 6 to 20 hours. I use an A-MAZE-N Pellet Smoke Generator with fruit woods or a blend called Pitmasters Choice. It's a 1/3 each blend of Hickory, Maple and Cherry. You will find a great deal more info at the link below...JJ